Running around with cables, stands and (almost) necessary ear protectors. Writing down interview questions and short introductions about the musicians. Making sure everyone in the backstage feels comfy and has everything on hand. All this, and much more, is what the concert preparations consist of. As participants of MEME Rock Camp 2018 in Berlin, which will reach its peak at our final event on Saturday, we had a “general rehearsal” on Wednesday, organising a concert of four Berlin-based artists in FEZ.
Party Fears, Jolly Goods, You’re Only Massive and Zdrada Palki heated up our Wednesday night with their energizing and convincing performances. Maggie Devlin and Eilis Frawley from Party Fears led us into the night with their pop-based, but highly versatile musical style: we were punking, funking, rocking and even discoing out. This women duo (actually, with the girl on the bass, it was a trio) was followed by another one – sisters Tanno Pippi and Angy Lord from Jolly Goods. Experimenting with sounds, equipment and genres, crowned with the haunting vocals of Tanno Pippi, Jolly Goods soaked the Konzertsaal 1 in their fifteen-years-spanning artistic pieces.
However, musical experimenting overwhelmed the scene when Maebh and David Murphy came out. This synth-pop/hip-hop duo uses lyrics and stage presence as means of questioning – and ridiculing – social norms traditionally ascribed to men and women. Letting our energies out, we closed the night with visually impressive performance of Zdrada Palki – queer artist from Poland using 80s and 90s (euro)pop music as a basis to convey bold anti-capitalist and feminist messages.
On Saturday afternoon from 3 PM on, our seven freshly-formed bands will play the songs they composed and rehearsed during the five days of the camp. From reggae-ish sounds to death-metal growling, young girls and women, trans and gender non-conforming people will take the scene at Konzertsaal 1 in FEZ and share all the mutual empowerment, solidarity and hard work we all put in taking out this rock camp. Support us, encourage us, inspire us – so we can continue inspiring our communities to become more open, accessible and just to everyone. See you on Saturday!
Text & photos: Anja Ilić, Projekat Femix
